Salt Horns

[iloco]

Anyone have original salt horns.  Can not find much when searching with google.
 Lets see some pictures of old or new salt horns if you have them.

[Pukka Bundook]

Were salt  horns used "back then" ?   Thing is, salt that isn't iodised isn't free running.  I do know salt dishes were used in Europe & England, and the salt was picked out a pinch at a time with finger-tips.
I Did make a salt -horn, but don't know if they are really authentic.

Best I can do for you  I'm afraid!

R.

[iloco]

Were salt  horns used "back then" ?   Thing is, salt that isn't iodised isn't free running.  I do know salt dishes were used in Europe & England, and the salt was picked out a pinch at a time with finger-tips.
I Did make a salt -horn, but don't know if they are really authentic.

Best I can do for you  I'm afraid!

R.

Thats a start.  I keep thinking they may have carried salt in leather bags.  Not much on the subject that I can find.

[Black Hand]

Thing is, salt that isn't iodised isn't free running. 

Sea salt?

[Black Hand]

We should differentiate between rock salt that is mined vs. Sea salt which comes as crystals or flakes. Even the salt extracted from evaporated/boiled sea water or salt springs (a la Boone or Lewis & Clark) would be rough crystals that could easily be ground.

[Black Hand]

Considering horns were used to carry any number of items that needed to be protected from moisture or contained (Powder, shot, caps, Alcohol, Snuff, tinder, other?), it doesn't seem like much of a stretch to carry salt in a horn.

[davec2]

Not original salt horns, but I few I have made over the past several years:

[Greg Pennell]

Simply exquisite!

Greg

[iloco]

Awesome horns.

[Pukka Bundook]

Trouble is, salt will absorb moisture, and unless iodised it goes damp and sticks to things.
I can see a horn receptacle being good for carrying salt, but it would need a large lid so it could be 'drug out'. rather than poured from a smaller hole.
I imagine a horn with a cap on the 'wrong end'.

Dave,
Fantastic looking wee horns there!  Beautiful work. :-)

[Black Hand]

Trouble is, salt will absorb moisture, and unless iodised it goes damp and sticks to things.
I can see a horn receptacle being good for carrying salt, but it would need a large lid so it could be 'drug out'. rather than poured from a smaller hole.

Please explain the container of Sea Salt on my kitchen counter that is open to the atmosphere 24/7/365? It is free-flowing and I've not had any issues with it absorbing moisture from the air and caking. Sea salt does not contain Iodide or anti-caking agents, but does contain trace minerals. Now admittedly, the humidity here is not that of Florida, Georgia, London or Edinburgh, but we do have humidity. My small salt horn has an opening of ~1/8 inch and the salt has not caked. The opening in my salt horn is ~1/4 -3/8inch while the opening in my small salt gourd is ~3/8inch, and neither have shown any evidence of caking. On the other hand, I have seen the salt clump in the dish on my counter IF I have dripped water from wet fingers, but even those clumps are rather small and break apart readily.  I only use Sea salt in my kitchen and in my horns/gourd...

The iodide added in the form of Potassium iodide is dietary (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_iodide for more info), while the Calcium silicate (ingredient listed on the side of the Morton's Iodized Salt container in my cupboard) is added as an anti-caking agent (see https://www.drugs.com/inactive/calcium-silicate-13.html).   

[JVavrek]

WOW, Don't mess with Black Hand's sea salt

[Pukka Bundook]

Mebbe everything in the sea is Already iodised, Black hand!  Seaweed is Very high in iodine....  :-)

Me no explainum, 'cos I can not!

A question though if that is permissible;
We see many examples of Antique salt dishes.   More recently we see salt Shakers or salt sellers as we call them back home.
Now;
Why were salt dishes used in the 18th and early 19th centuries?   
 
All I am doing is stating what we know was used back then.   I too have a homemade salt-horn I use, and it works with today's salt. (todays) :-)

Now, If we had some examples of 18th C salt -horns, I would be very happy , and would like to see them. 
Of course, there May be lots 'out there' and in my ignorance have never stumbled across them.
I never pretend to be "unignorant"   Black hand.   

All the very best,

Richard.

[Black Hand]

Now, If we had some examples of 18th C salt -horns, I would be very happy , and would like to see them. 
Of course, there May be lots 'out there' and in my ignorance have never stumbled across them.

Neither have I, but there are many modern salt horns for sale by vendors. As horn was the Tupperware of the day, it's not a far stretch to think a horn could have been used for salt, but a search of Google Books (1700-1850) doesn't yield any hits. To be honest, I much prefer my gourd container for salt...

[Black Hand]

A question though if that is permissible;
We see many examples of Antique salt dishes.   More recently we see salt Shakers or salt sellers as we call them back home.
Now;
Why were salt dishes used in the 18th and early 19th centuries?   

Conspicuous exhibition of wealth?
Compare them to the wood salt-boxes also seen...

[Tim Crosby]

 Salt horns...really priming horns...posing as Salt horns...posing as Priming horns.   

   Tim C.

[Black Hand]

How many pans could a priming horn prime if a priming horn could prime pans? Or are they just pistol/day horns in disguise...?

[Pukka Bundook]

Salt  bowls, salt boxes, for some reason they all had open/openable tops.     (I said All, so will likely get put right on that!)  Maybe I should have said "all the ones I have seen".  :-)

Black Hand,

Do you remember when Rondyvoo vendors sold those leather-covered Glass water -bottles Everyone just Had to have?   In this I rest my case for the present crop of salt horns.

All the Very best,
Richard.

[Black Hand]

Never saw one myself, but people claimed they were PC. I have my reservations about the covered bottles, but glass bottles are documented and I have several period or period- styled bottles that I use only in camp.  How else is one to carry rum or shrub?

[Pukka Bundook]

Keg or stone jar/jug.  :-)

The leather -covered bottles were Supposed to be what mountain -men carried.  How long before it got broke? A wooden canteen, or a keg, or a stone jug would live longer I think.

[Black Hand]

The leather -covered bottles were Supposed to be what mountain -men carried. 

I wonder where they got this idea?

[Pukka Bundook]

Probably the same place where we see the hair -pipes, and other stuff never used by Mountain Men, .. laced clothing etc.   Was it Rex Norman wrote a few articles on this years ago?  Very good articles!

I suppose if folks are looking for something for their persona, Anything will do if you don't already have it!

[Black Hand]

Mr. Norman has good information.
 
I have little problem with people using these things as long as they are honest with themselves (and others) and admit they have something that isn't PC/HC. On the other hand, when presenting to the public, we need to be as correct as possible based upon the information we have. That isn't to say that we will be 100%, but be as close as possible. Personally, I carry a jackware canteen, but share that people of the day wouldn't have really carried a canteen (unless military), but modern needs for clean water make it necessary. Also, jackware was somewhat out of fashion in the 1700s and the example my canteen is inspired by is from the 1500's wreck of the Mary Rose and Rundlets. It is functional, light, tough, made from period materials but not necessarily PC.

A salt container of some sort is a handy thing, so using something that is PC/HC, even if used in an unconventional manner, is better than making something up.

And yes, clothing laced with large X-shaped stitches is something that annoys me....

[Pukka Bundook]

We're on the same page my friend.

Can you somewhere post some photos of your jackware canteen?

I am not familiar with these.

BTW, my salt -horn is a section of horn, not the tip.  Plugs in both ends and a stopper in the top.  I do not know why I made it like that. Just seemed natural that it'd stand on a table with stopper at top.   Maybe influenced by the rather shady "Rum Horn"?  :-)

[Black Hand]

I will post a picture of my jackware canteen in a new thread.